Uniquely Uniper: Meet Tom Houlgate

Tom is Health, Safety, Security, Environment and Quality Manager at the Holford natural gas storage facility. 

Although he has to wear different hats in his role, Tom explains how having a supportive, tight-knit team is an important factor in his day-to-day work. He also talks to us about his journey since joining the company as a graduate, and how life has changed for him since being diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS).  

Can you tell us a little about your role? 

I make sure that our site complies with the Health and Safety Executive’s (HSE) Control of Major Accident Hazards (COMAH) regulations. 

There are two tiers of establishment subject to COMAH, and these are determined by the quantity of dangerous substances they hold. Holford is the only Uniper UK site in the upper tier – and that means we have additional requirements placed on us by the regulations. 

We have to demonstrate to stakeholders such as the HSE, the Environment Agency and local council that we designed and commissioned the site correctly – and that we’re operating it in the right way, while being well prepared to manage any issues or incidents.  

What sort of things does that involve?

It mainly involves managing processes and risks, making sure we have the right governance and systems in place. It’s all about keeping colleagues and our neighbours safe. 

An important part of the job is connected to the site and our plant processes. But there’s a lot more too – from managing safety around slips, trips and falls, to looking after the team’s health and wellbeing. 

My day-to-day work could vary from visiting a local farmer to managing a live site emergency exercise. These simulations help us test the robustness of our emergency plans and involve the council, emergency services or even counter terrorism police visiting the site. 

It's very busy, but we're a tight-knit, small team of under 30, who all work together well. I think that’s an important part of how we manage the site successfully.  

What inspired you to follow this career path? 

Well, it was fairly straightforward. I’ve always been interested in physics and maths, and I studied environmental engineering at university. 

I joined the company as an engineering graduate and worked for about nine years in different roles for the Environment team. I eventually moved to a safety role, which although very different in many ways, is also similar in that it’s about managing risk.   

What sort of qualities and skills do you need for your role? 

A large part of it lies in making sure you have the right culture – through leading by example, setting standards and making sure everyone has the right tools to do their job. It’s also about making sure people are empowered to make the right decisions and speak up if they think there’s something’s wrong. 

My role involves wearing a number of different hats, so it’s also about having a really good team around me.

Can you tell us about any achievements you’re proud of? 

I’m proud of the work I did in my last role, where I looked after the European Union Emissions Trading System (ETS) work for the business – coordinating it for all the sites across the UK. I was responsible for getting the numbers verified and signed off. It was really important to get it absolutely right. 

I also enjoyed being involved with developing Best Available Techniques Reference Documents (known as BREFs). This was all about assessing what new EU regulations were going to mean for all our sites – it was a multi-stakeholder project, working across different countries in which we operate. 

Can you tell us a little about life outside work?

You used to find me down the pub on a Friday evening, then playing cricket on a Saturday and Sunday. That changed after I was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS) a couple of years ago, so now I’m more likely to be watching the cricket instead. 

Another thing I really enjoy is music festivals, which I’ve been going to for about 15 years. I prefer the smaller, more intimate ones – such as a small folk festival near Aberystwyth, and another one in Northamptonshire. 

I’ve needed to adjust what I do because of my MS diagnosis and had to take six months off work last year. The company has been great in terms of supporting me. I can partly work from home, for example, so I don’t have to be on site five days a week. 

The latest project taking up my time is a track day car – I recently bought an MX-5. So far this year I’ve been to Bedford Autodrome, Donnington Park, Oulton Park and Cadwell Park. Anglesey is next on the list!

Become an energy evolutionary: https://www.uniper.energy/career